


Shipwrecked

by Angel1622



Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst, Dehydration, Despair, Fear, Gen, Major Character Injury, Malnutrition, Original Mythology, Ritual, Self-Sacrifice, Sleep Deprivation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-10
Updated: 2019-12-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:33:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21746827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angel1622/pseuds/Angel1622
Summary: Left alone on an unknown island with no food nor water and an injured navigator, the Strawhats' chef finds it impossible to provide enough food for both of them. The situation gets worse when he realises they're not alone.
Relationships: Nami & Vinsmoke Sanji
Comments: 16
Kudos: 75





	1. Stranded

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Purplepulu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Purplepulu/gifts), [surgeonofdeath](https://archiveofourown.org/users/surgeonofdeath/gifts).



“Sanji-kun! Sanji-kun!” he heard someone repeating his name and shaking him. He slowly opened his eyes, adjusting them to the sunlight. It was Nami-san, shitty fantastic as always, but a little worried. He tried to sit up, but black spots danced around his vision as he attempted to do so.

“Take it easy, Sanji-kun.” said the navigator “You've been out for a while.”

He looked around. They were on a beach, lying on the sand in the shadow of some giant palm trees growing near the shore.

“How long?” he asked, taking a closer look at his friend. She had big, nasty bruises on her knee and elbow, her eyes were puffed and her nose red. She must've been crying. The beautiful-

“Nami-san.” he asked seriously, eyeing her up, searching for more potential wounds “What happened?”

“There was a storm.” she said “Everyone was doing their best, but eventually Merry crashed, and we fell overboard. I got my consciousness back after a short while, but you...” she looked away “You've been unconscious for way too long, Sanji-kun. I was worried that you might have-”

“How long was I out?”

“The whole night. And about eight hours, since I woke up.” His eyes widened slightly. It weren't the large bruises, it was him, a man, who should always wipe away a woman's tears, who made a beautiful lady cry. “I tried to look around, but I can't straighten up my right leg and arm.” she moved the limbs a little. He noticed they were indeed bent the whole time “At least I managed to get us away from the water...”

“Nami-san.” he felt even more guilty “You shouldn't have strained yourself dragging me here. It must have caused you a lot of pain.” He was nowhere near as heavy as Zoro, luckily, but for the fragile Nami-san it must've been hard to drag him all the way to the palm trees. He tried to imagine her, grimacing in pain, trying to move him inches further away from the water, and it made the blood drain from his face. “I'm so sorry.”

“Don't be.” she shrugged “It's not like I would leave you in the water. I don't want you to die.” she shifted slightly, hiding the grimace of pain, but he knew better than to fell for her act. He slowly stood up, looking around and checking if he wasn't injures. Some minor cuts and bruises, but nothing serious. To be honest, he would feel better if there actually _were_ some deeper wounds. It's Nami-san who should've drawn the long straw.  
He crouched in front of the navigator, gently lifting her arm. Delicately, he pressed it in three places he was taught to back when he worked as a chore boy on seas, long before meeting the old geezer.

“Does it hurt?” he asked, but to his relief Nami-san shook her head. It wasn't broken then. He did the same to her knee. “You're going to be alright, Nami-san.” he smiled reassuringly “These are just really nasty bruises.They'll heal in no time.” He looked her in the eye, smiling reassuringly “For now, let's find Merry and the others. Since you won't be able to walk for a while, would you mind if I carried you?” he saw her looking away slightly, but still, she nodded. He understood, feeling like ballast was never pleasant, however it's not like he had a problem with it. The navigator was as light as a feather, and carrying such heavenly beauty in his arms...

“There's one thing that's bothering me though.” she said “I looked around,but I couldn't find any food in sight. Plus, we don't know how big is this island anyway. It might take us days to find the others. If they're even here...” she looked down, but he gently put a hand on her shoulder. He felt how worried she was, first looking after him the whole night, not knowing where others were, with no food nor water. A lady, even a pirate, should not go through such ordeals. Women were created to be admired and taken care of. Not struggling for their lives.  
“Nami-san.” her gaze wondered up to his eyes “If there's a need, I'll carry you to the end of the world. We're going to be okay, I'm sure the others are already looking for us.” he smiled “As for the food, I think it would be wise to keep close to the shore, so give me ten minutes. I'll go check if there's anything edible around.”

“Thank you, Sanji-kun.”

“The pleasure's all mine. If you see or hear anything suspicious, call me immidiately.”

Even though he was sure there _had_ to be some food on the island, his hopes seemed to wither. To their luck, they landed on a summmer island, which meant the weren't going to freeze to death, however his concerns were all focused on food. There were bushes and some trees which seemed to produce edible fruit, however all he found were extremely unripe ones, closer to buds than actual food. If nothing worked, without doubt they would be some sort of nutrition, however this time it wasn't only him and another man in need of food – there was Nami-san, who deserved to be treated gourmet meals with all necessary nutritients. He couldn't not have that in mind. It was his duty to find something, _anything_ to keep her strong and healthy.

There it was, a bush with ripe fruit resembling berries. He practically ran towards it, plucking one of the crimson balls and examining it. He knew the species well, it was an edible one. He quickly counted the fruit. Twenty-two pieces. Not nearly enough to feed a person, but it was a good start. Perhaps if they moved to another part of the island, they would find more ripe fruit, best-case scenario even some animals, although he was positive he hadn't heard any birds singing. A very bad sign.

“I'm sorry, Nami-san.” he smiled in an apologetic way “There was plenty of fruit, but it was all a little unripe and I couldn't get it off the trees no matter how hard I kicked. I got you those, though. I'm sure we'll find more if we move somewhere else.”

“Don't worry about that.” she smiled back, although the cook was positive it hadn't been a one hundred percent genuine expression. No wonder, there was no big feast before on the Merry, and spending the whole night awake without food couldn't possibly be pleasant. Especially for such a delicate lady. He felt kind of mad at himself. He should've found more food so she wouldn't feel hungry.

He promised he'd carry her to the end of the world. They'd been moving forward for hours, stopping from time to time for him to search food and water. He found a stream running in the forest, however his eyes were wandering around the trees and bushes, _longing_ to see anything he could give Nami-san to keep her properly nutrited.

There was never much if he found something. But it didn't matter, because there actually _was_ food. Not enough to feed a person his age, but not to little for Nami-san to stay alive and healthy. He knew that her wounds won't heal unless she eats, and so he did his best to provide her vitamins and nutritiens she needed badly.

“Sanji-kun.” she said the third time he came back “Do you even eat something? You've only brought fruit for me since we landed here.”

“I eat when checking if the fruit is ripe and juicy enough for you, Nami-san.” he smiled convincingly, looking away into the forest “Also when I'm not sure if I recognised the species right.”

“You shouldn't do that.” she rebuked him “What if you find something poisonous?”  
“Don't worry about that. I'm positive I can determine if something is poisonous well enough.”

Every time he went to the woods he begged whatever god there was to send him some sort of animals or fish he could cook. He could feel the familiar feeling of lacking proteins. Even if unpleasant, it could be dealt with. He'd been through worse, this time though he could protect the one he cared about. He only needed to find her meat, or more ripe fruit.  
Leaves and grass were for him to chew whenever his stomach growled for food.

The first evening came. No signs of the crew nor Merry. His thoughts wandered around the food. There still was a slight chance of finding fully ripe, juicy fruit or some animals that'd come out at night. Although if the island was inhabited by some large predators, it'd be dangerous. Given that Nami-san wasn't capable of neither defending herself or running away, if the animals attacked in a pack, like wolves or lions, they'd be in serious trouble. And if the land was, in fact, inhabited by people and they tried to hurt the navigator-

“Sanji-kun, is everything fine?” her hazel eyes wandered around his features, visibly concerned “You seem distant.”

“It's nothing. Just got lost in my thoughts “ he gave her an apologetic smile “I'm sorry.”

“No, it's alright. I thought you were worried about something.” she also smiled, though he couldn't see relief in her features “Head high, Luffy and the others will surely find us soon. They're probably on their way already.”

“Yeah, sure.” he nodded, taking off his jacket, handing it to her “We'll be staying here for a while, Nami-san. You can use it as a pillow.”

“Thank you. Sleeping on sand would be quite uncomfortable. Aren't you going to sleep?” she frowned.

“I'll take the first shift.” he said, standing up “I don't feel like falling asleep for now.”

The night was peaceful, although the air was chilly. He was quite thankful for that. Any warmer and he might've felt sleepy. Nami-san was sleeping peacefully, curled in a ball and pulling the injured arm close to her chest. With her beautiful, ginger hair reflecting the moonlight, she looked like an angel who'd fallen from the sky.

He should've been there to catch her on time.

His ear caught a noise. In one second he was on his feet, walking towards Nami-san and gently lifting her up, than throwing his jacket over his arm. Before he knew it, he was already walking away from the place they stayed in, nervously walking around. His instincts didn't let him down, though he tried to ignore the silent whisper in the back of his mind. Damn it, he had to find the others soon.

The howl continued for several minutes, leaving no room for doubt. They weren't alone on the island.

Nami-san shifted in his arms, slowly opening her eyes. She frowned, looking around, than set her gaze on him.

“Sanji-kun? I thought you were going to wake me up to take the second shift.” she yawned quietly and rubbed her eyes.

“I decided it would be better to go before noon. This way we would avoid the highest temperatures. I hope you don't mind it, Nami-san.” he brushed a strand of hair from her forehead and smiled “You look extraordinarily beautiful today.”

“You liar.” she smirked “I haven't showered nor brushed my hair since we got here. You, on the other hand, look tired. Are you sure you don't want to take a break?”

“No.” he caught himself responding more nervously than he intended to, but Nami-san either didn't notice or had enough tact not to mention it. Apart from the howling from the other night, there was one more thing that concerned him deeply “We should reach the others as soon as possible.”

If the three bastards got separated from each other, would they find enough food for themselves? Were they injured? Were they safe?

The only optimistic thing he could say about their current situation, the amount of food available was not _lessening._ He could still find enough fruit to keep Nami-san well-fed and in quite a shape, though if they were going to stay there even a few days longer, there was no way it would be enough for her. The navigator seemed even more shitty fantastic to him now – never complaining, never asking any uncomfortable questions, though she could have many, never talking much about the shape of her bruised limbs. He knew she was a strong woman before, but in such situation he admired her heavenly personality even more.  
The less optimistic thing, though, was that he already felt less power than usually. Leaves and buds were without doubt better than nothing, but Nami-san started to feel more and more heavy in his arms when he'd be carrying her, and if he could be sure of one thing, she wasn't gaining weight. He also started feeling tired, the adrenaline from night had disappeared long ago, leaving the unpleasant feeling of skipping a night.  
It was nothing he couldn't face, though. He'd been through worse. And he had to stay strong for her, now that she needed him more than ever.

The second night he decided to get some sleep, but only after dawn. Until then, who knows what might have happened to Nami-san? If she got hurt by the howling animals, he'd never forgive himself, none of his crewmates would. His hands started shaking, one of the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal, he assumed. The situation was worse than he originally thought. He was sure they'll reach the others long ago, yet he hadn't heard nor seen any sign of them on the island.

_Perhaps they didn't land on the same island.  
Perhaps they were injured and the animals finished them off.  
Perhaps they couldn't find anything to eat and are starving to death._

He quickly shook the horrible thoughts off. The guys were strong, he knew they would find one way or another to survive. Best case scenario, all of them, including Merry, were safe and sound, gathered together with the food supplies. Even with Luffy's appetite, they would be fine about a week. The island couldn't possibly be _this_ big.

There it was again. The howling. This time worryingly closer than before. Either were there moving closer to the animals' den _or,_ which would be way less appealing to him or Nami-san, they animals were closing up to them, following their trail at night. There was one question, though. How could they possibly smell them if they were constantly moving close to the shore?

He stopped walking only when the howling stopped for until he counted to one thousand. With a quiet sigh of relief, he cautiously laid Nami-san on the golden sand, her beauty being expressed even more than usually. He couldn't wake her up now, a lady like her deserved proper rest. His eyes wandered around the horizon, meeting the first rays of sunshine. He still had plenty of time before the navigator would open her eyes. Enough to explore the forest a little and maybe find something for her breakfast, or even look for the predators' den...  
_No,_ he rebuked himself. He couldn't leave a defenseless lady alone on an unknown island. If it was inhabited, which he already doubted, but only _if,_ and the villagers found out she was a pirate... who knows what horrible things could happen to her. Leaving Nami-san alone, sleeping on the sand was not an option, however taking her into the woods was also impossible for three main reasons:

 _One,_ he didn't know the forest. The fact he didn't find anything didn't mean there weren't any poisonous animals or plants that could threat Nami-san's health or life.  
_Two_ , moving around by himself was already hard as there were no paved paths nor passages. He had to work his way through the ubiquitous leaves and branches.

 _Three,_ if by any chance Nami-san would wake up and actually see how little food the forest could provide... he didn't even want to think about it.

The third day came and went just as the previous ones, although he could feel unpleasant symptoms of sleep deprivation. He also noticed they had to make more breaks now. And the worst thing was that he could no longer pretend that everything was perfectly fine.

“Sanji-kun.” Nami-san's eyes pierced through him “You're not telling me something.”

“I'm positive I don't know what you're talking about.” he tried to cut off the issue with a smile, but he knew she had already figured out he was trying to whistle past the graveyard.

“We've been here for three days.” she said “I haven't seen you eat _nor_ sleep once. Also, you insist on continuing the walk even though it's clear as the sky you're tired. What is it that you're trying to hide?” The possibly most uncomfortable question she could ask, although he couldn't just tell her. It was his duty to protect her and keep her safe, even if it meant hiding the truth from her.

“To be honest, Nami-san.” he said, sighing “I'm worried about Luffy and the others. If they got separated from the Going Merry and our food supplies, their situation is way worse than ours. The forest is, in fact, quite rich in the plants, however very few are edible. That's why I want to reach them as soon as possible.” he explained, not breaking the eye contact once “As for me, I already told you, mellorine. I eat when I'm in the forest, starving myself wouldn't be the wisest idea, and I also _do sleep._ It's just that I want to reach the others as soon as possible.” he smiled slightly “I feel honored that you're concerned about me, Nami-san, however I believe you're in a way worse shape.”

“I see.” she looked away, not giving him a response. He mentally punched himself for lying to a lady. A man should always forgive a woman's lies, but it didn't go the other way around so easily. If she ever found out, she would do whatever she wanted to him, and he'd bear the consequences. For no though, he _had_ to keep her in the dark. She couldn't refuse to eat or sleep and lose any more strength because of him.

He couldn't even think of stopping for the night, even though Nami-san insisted on taking a break.

“We should stop, Sanji-kun.” she said “You're tired.”

“It's nothing.” he smiled at her “I'm still full of energy. Not to mention, I want to get to those fools as soon as possible.”

“You wouldn't be of any help if we find them half-dead.” her stare was icy “I'm being serious. We _have_ to stop, even for a little while.”

“Don't worry.” he looked up, at the sky. It was hard to resist this beauty, but he couldn't stop now. Something on the back of his mind was sure that the predators would get them if they took a break right now. What was loath to admit, he was in no shape to fight more than one at a time. He was exhausted, his limbs and head felt heavy and he felt a little dizzy from time to time. Not to mention the hunger, oh god he shouldn't be so weak after four days of eating leaves and grass. He survived the rock ordeal, so why was he feeling so shitty after just a couple of days? It became hard to concentrate once he got lost in his thoughts. “The sun still hadn't set. We can still move forward while it's not dark.”

“You know I'm not concerned about the darkness.” she took in a deep breath.  
He knew.  
Nonetheless, this one time he couldn't obey her.

The third night, he saw one of the animals inhabiting the island for the first time. To his luck, Nami-san was long asleep before he first spotted dark shapes moving somewhere in the forest. It was near dawn, just about time for the howling to stop. He rubbed his eyes, standing up and moving closer to te forest, looking closely between the trees. He didn't see a thing, the moonlight couldn't reach through the thick layer of leaves and branches.  
Than he heard a noise, and involuntarily jumped away. _Something_ suddenly was in the place he had been splits of second ago, baring its teeth and growling. Sharp fangs and a pair of golden eyes shone in the moonlight. A wolf.  
The animal dashed at him, aiming for his side. His scream tore the air as the wolf bit his left arm. He turned around, trying to get it off and aimed a kick at its stomach. It wasn't half as powerful as he expected, though strong enough to send the predator flying. He quickly grabbed the injured limb with his hand, hissing. He watched the animal, breathing slowly and not getting up. It was the time to escape. He gently lifted Nami-san, grimacing when her weight had been put on his bleeding arm, and started walking away, adrenaline still buzzing in his veins. He hadn't felt so scared in a very long time. First, he didn't notice the predator getting close. Second, he let it bit his arm. Third, the animal could've easily gotten Nami-san if he fell asleep, even for a minute. They would both be dead by now if he closed his eyes. The thought alone sent shivers down his spine.  
The howling of other wolves was closing in a dangerously fast pace. He wanted to run, but his legs wouldn't allow him anything more than a fast walk. His heart started beating faster. This was it, even if he managed to get away that night, they'd find him the next time the sun would set. He tried his best to keep them both safe, but now, he couldn't do _anything._ He cursed himself for being so helpless.

A loud whine tore the air away from him, and he could _swear_ he heard the sound of drawing a sword echoing through the island. The others were somewhere there! And they were alive. He felt a huge weight being taken off his chest. The wolfs' whines meant they were fine, so _if_ he could somehow get to them...

“Weren't you sleeping the whole night _again_?” there was no loath in her voice, only some sort of disappointment and sad approval. He narrowed his eyes, concentrating on her face. “And why are you walking so close to the shore? You'll get your shoes wet.”

“Don't worry about that.” he forced a weak smile “I heard the others last night. We should join them as soon as possible.”

“Is that so?” her eyes lit up and she smiled brightly “That's wonderful news, Sanji-kun!”

“That's right.” he nodded, grinning back. _If we manage to get close before it gets dark._

He was an idiot, which he realized minutes before dawn. Thanks to him being a fool, now both him and Nami-san were in danger. Thanks to his shitty concentration, he didn't connect the dots on time. The wolves weren't Haki users, they had to track them somehow. The best way for the canines to find their prey is by their smell. Walking by the shore, not leaving footprints, he should've done that since the very beginning. Leaving as few traces as possible. Instead, he did the worst thing possible.  
He left his scent all over the forest looking for food. What was even worse though, he had Nami-san's scent on him too. That's why the wolves would also hunt her if they separated.

“Are they alright?” Nami-san's heavenly hazel eyes traced over his features. The smile didn't seem to come off her face, though she seemed more concerned now.  
“They are. I'm sure-” he stopped in the middle of the sentence as he felt the hurt arm stinging again. He tried to shift it, but it only made things worse.

“Sanji-kun, is everything okay?” she asked, tightening the grip around his neck.

“Of course, mellorine.” he stroked her hair with his thumb “I just got a little stiff, that's all.”

The sun was terribly low now and panic started to rise inside him. They didn't make any breaks today, he didn't go into the forest or away from the shore, still there was no sign of the others. He hoped to see the Merry's mast or Luffy running around somewhere, but perhaps it was only his imagination playing tricks on him the night before. It couldn't be the truth, they _had_ to be somewhere close.

“I can't wait to see the others.” Nami-san was calm, he could tell she was relaxed now “We'll finally go to the Grand Line. Isn't that amazing?” she looked at him enthusiastically, and so he smiled weakly.  
“Surely, it'll be.” he said, humming quietly “I bet Luffy also can't wait.”

“Right. He can be so impatient at times...” her gaze wandered away to the ocean “I'm not surprised, though. It's his dream, to become the king of pirates, after all.”

He didn't respond, also looking into the ocean waves, longing for someone to come and help them. His eyelids were heavy and his arm felt as if torn in half. All he wanted right now was to fall and not get up. The only thing keeping him standing was the need to save Nami-san. He had to take her to the others, even if he died trying.

_Luffy, would you be able to become the king of pirates without me?_

He was well aware it had to happen sooner or later, but his legs gave up eventually.  
He felt weak and pathetic when he fell to the ground, still careful not to do any harm to Nami-san. It felt as though someone cut off his limbs.  
“Sanji-kun?” her expression was full of concern “We need to stop. Right now.”

“That's not an option, Nami-san.” he said, trying to get up, but he just couldn't find enough strength to lift himself up. _Weak._

“No.” she said, giving him an icy stare “You're in no shape to move any further. We'll stay here overnight. You need to sleep.”

“No.” he said, shaking his head. Her eyes widened. It was probably the first time he had opposed her in such a way, not leaving any room for negotiation. “We have to keep moving forward.” He managed to bend one leg so he could kneel on the other one. _Pathetic._

“You said the others were close.” she smiled slightly, regaining her cool “I'm sure we'll find them tomorrow.”

“Nami-san.” he said, finally standing up. His legs were shaking “It's just a little further. If we don't make it until tomorrow-” his speech was cut off by the sound he longed for her never to hear. He looked behind his back, aware how incredibly close did it come from.  
He did everything he could to delay the pack, but they were closer than ever, their howling slowly surrounding them, cutting their way off to the forest. He glanced at Nami-san, seeing her terrified expression.  
“What's that howling, Sanji-kun?” she asked, moving closer to him. He put a hand on her arm.

“I need you to move as close to the water as possible.” he smiled at her “It's just some stray dogs. I'll take care of them in no time.”  
Before he could turn away, she grabbed his arm, making him hiss in pain as the navigator's fingers dug into the wound. Her eyes widened as she quickly took the hand back, seeing it coated in his blood. He turned around, stepping forward and swaying as he tried to keep standing. He heard Nami-san saying something to him, but the words didn't quite reach him. The whole world was spinning, and he'd never felt so shitty standing to a fight before. But he had to do something to raise Nami-san's chances of survival. Otherwise, how would he look Zeff in the eye when they meet on the other side?

Six pairs of glowing eyes differed from the darkness, three more from the sides. A total of nine, way to more to fend off. Nami-san started screaming, begging him to come back or run away and leave her, but he knew she knew he had already decided. Hopefully, all the canines were interested in him for now.  
The first one charged at him, two other securing their positions on by his sides. The adrenaline buzzing in his veins was barely enough to keep him standing. His legs were shaking, ready to give up any second. He aimed a kick for the dashing animal and managed to block its attack, stepping a few feet back. The others didn't give him a chance of catching his breath, attacking from the sides. He managed to get one of them off whilst the other bit through his calf. He screamed, falling onto his knee and watching the other animals and getting closer.

As they were ready to attack, he heard the sound of a sword being unsheathed, and a loud scream, though it all seemed distant to him. Luffy and the others must've found them. He smiled slightly before his other leg gave up and his face hit the sand. He heard someone shouting something. There were more than just the two of them. Usopp also? He honestly didn't care by now. He saw someone leaning over him.

“Please... take care of Nami-san.” he said, closing his eyes.


	2. Exhausted

Sanji slowly came to, hearing some voices around him. One belonging to a woman, and one to a man. The people who saved him and Nami-san from a pack of wolves and death last night. They were talking, quite lively. He frowned slightly, feeling loud buzzing in his head, when he froze. The voices didn’t belong to any of his crewmates. Which meant, people who came to rescue him and Nami-san weren’t Luffy and the others.

He remembered clearly everything that happened before waking up there. He and Nami-san were shipwrecked, the others were gone. She was hurt, badly – she couldn’t walk nor defend herself. He provided her all the food he could find in the forest, even though it wasn’t much. But then, at night, there were the wolves. Tracking them, getting closer every time the moon was up on the sky. It was a race with time, and apparently, they had lost. And everything looked like the people who saved them were now arguing mere feet away from him.

Even though he was almost sure it was his comrades he heard this feral night. Next thing he noticed, he was on his knees, with his hands tied behind his back and attached to what seemed to be a wall. He decided not to risk opening his eyes yet. First, he wanted to get to know the situation better.

“Sir, I believe you’re wrong.” Said the woman “They’re good people. There’s no need to treat them that way.”

“No.” the man’s voice cut her off “They’re pirates. You know people have seen a jolly roger. Pirates _can’t_ be good people, you know that.”

“Still, we talked with the redhead. You can’t say she wasn’t nice towards us. The way she was concerned about him, and the gods are positive… I’m sure she can’t be a bad person!”

“You don’t understand a thing, stupid woman!” the man’s tone raised and Sanji could hear a fist slamming into a wall “They’re deceptive, cunning creatures. One false step and they’ll stab your back without hesitation! I bet your pretty little redhead witch would slice your throat if she had the chance to!” The instant the words were said, Sanji’s eyes involuntarily snapped open.

The people arguing in front of him were complete opposites. The man had dark, curly hair and tanned skin, just like Usopp, and for sure taller than the chef, and pretty muscled on top of that. Looking on how tired and shitty Sanji felt, he’d rather not have to fight him. The woman was way shorter than the man, probably Luffy’s height, but her skin was really fair and her hair was snow white. He wondered how come those two even lived under the same roof.

“Look who’s awake.” Grunted the man, turning to the chef. Sanji looked him in the eye, trying to determine his intentions “Pirate trash. I’ve been wondering how much longer would you be asleep. Two days’ quite a lot of time, don’t you think?” Sanji’ heartbeat fastened. He’d been asleep for forty-eight hours. God knows what could’ve happened to Nami-san during that time.

“Well, it doesn’t matter anyway.” The man continued, slowly getting closer “Whatever you wanted to do to the city and its people, it’s useless. Now that we got you, it’s only a matter of time before the rest comes here. Tell me, how many there is of you?”

Sanji remained silent, focusing his stare at the woman. She was incredibly beautiful, her green eyes seemed to lighten up the room. He wondered what would it be like to talk to her instead of that man.

“Answer me, pirate.” The chef’s chin was grabbed painfully, forcing him to look into the man’s eyes “Unless you want something nasty to happen to your little redhead friend. Or is she just your slave? From the way she was talking about you I can tell the relationship between you two is quite… intense, wouldn’t you agree?” Sanji had to stop himself from frowning slightly. First, to talk like that about Nami-san, the man was digging his own grave. Second, he wandered what exactly had he heard to think about him and, oh god, the heavenly Nami-san in that way. Speaking of which.

“Where is she?” he asked, watching not to change his tone. There was no answer. “Where. Is. She?” he looked the man straight into the eye, searching for some sort of an answer. They’d only survived the attack of a wolves’ pack, now to be captured by the islands’ inhabitants? He thought he was so close to saving the navigator, now he realized how wrong he was.

“She’s also here.” The man didn’t show a trace of emotions. He only looked a bit bored “As I said, if you don’t cooperate, something pretty bad is going to happen to her.” Sanji clenched his teeth, turning his gaze to the woman.

“Where is she?” he asked, focused only on her. She looked down, not responding. “Tell me, please. Where is my friend?” he didn’t stop. If there was the slightest chance he could get any information from that woman, he wouldn’t hesitate “What happened to he-“ his words were shut by a punch to his cheek. The chef curled into a ball, protecting his face from further damage and grimacing. The man _could_ punch.

“You’re not the one asking questions here.” Grunted the man, looking at his acquaintance “And you, if you spit out a word I’ll personally cut your tongue off. Understood?” the woman took a step back, nodding. Sanji’s blood began to boil.

“How dare you call a lady like that?” he hissed, straightening up. The man sparred him a frustrated look.

“Look who’s all mighty now.” He frowned, clenching his fist. “A pirate, of all people.” The hit landed on the chef’s temple. Other followed as the man threw more insults.

“Disloyal, treacherous creatures.”  
“Ruthless murderers.”  
“Knowing nothing about loyalty.”

“All you’re good for is destruction.”  
“Failures who are trying to prove themselves they’re worth something.”  
“All you dream of is gold and thinking you’re someone.”  
“Don’t tell me you really think you could achieve something. Were you trying to reach the Grand Line? Bunch of idiots.”  
“Perhaps you want to find One Piece, huh? That’s crazy. People chase after some shit that doesn’t even exist. All those schnooks-“

The man stopped when Sanji’s foot connected with his knee. Though he was weakened, hitting the right spot made something click and the man held back a scream, falling to the ground. Whatever self-control the chef had possessed by now, he’d completely lost it.

“Don’t. Ever. Say such bullshit again.” He hissed through gritted teeth, giving the man an icy stare. Whoever disrespected Luffy’s dream in such a way deserved a decent kick to the head.

The man yelped, standing up and leaning on the wall. Hobbling, he slowly walked towards the chef and grabbed one of his arms, digging his fingers deep into the wound. Sanji held back a groan when dark spots blurred his vision. His arm was now pulsing with sharp pain.

“Watch what you’re doing, rat.” Hissed the man, getting up “We didn’t keep you alive just so you caused us more trouble. Next time you try something silly, there will be consequences.”

***

Nami’s hands wouldn’t stop shaking every time she thought about Sanji-kun. She could still recall him, being attacked by the wolves, trying to protect her, falling to the ground. Then, those strange people coming to their rescue. At first, when she heard the sounds of a sword being drawn, she thought it was Zoro who came to save them, but their savior turned out to be this island’s inhabitant. With a few smooth moves he had dealt with most of the pack, the others running away. If he hadn’t come to their rescue in time…

“Nami, is something the matter?” she heard a soft voice and turned around. Behind her, there was Saia, the man’s maid who was taking care of the household and the guests, as she explained one time. The navigator got to like the girl, she was very polite and quite joyful, although it was hard to determine whether she was only acting that way because she was told to or not.

“I was just thinking about Sanji-kun.” She shrugged, smiling softly at her new acquaintance. As a navigator, she was a person who relied strongly on their instincts, and according to them Saia was a harmless person who could be trusted. On the other hand, she was quite beautiful. Her porcelain skin and white hair were unique, given that people on the island were most tanned, of dark hair and brown eyes.  
“You know our doctor is doing his best to help him.” She said, sitting by Nami’s side “He was extremely exhausted and malnourished, so it may take some time for him to get better.”  
“Perhaps you’re right.” Nami nodded with a sigh “Still, it has been two entire days, and I’d really like to see him.”

“I totally understand you.” Saia smiled sadly “But you know that without Sir’s permission I can do nothing.”

That was true, the navigator had seen the household’s owner a couple of times since she and Sanji-kun had been rescued. He seemed to be the island’s big gun – from what Saia told her, Nami found out he was a warrior respected among the villagers. The only unknown for her was his name though – the maid was forbidden to say it out loud, and whenever the issue came up, she immediately changed the subject. The navigator assumed it was a really sore spot, so she decided it would be better not to touch it, especially when she owed the man so much. Everybody had their own vagaries.

When she first heard the sword being drawn, she was sure it was Zoro. Like he was the only person who knew how to use a sword. When he heard the scream, however, her hopes withered up. The voice was way too low for anyone from the crew, it belonged to a stranger. Not that it did matter at the moment, if they didn’t come at that exact moment, Sanji-kun would had long fallen off his perch. She too.

“We can’t wait forever though.” She sighed, standing up “Our friends can be anywhere, you know? We have to find them in order to enter the Grand Line and pursue our dreams.”

“Dreams?” Saia seemed to have caught interest “What do you dream of, Nami?”

“Well, I want to draw the map of the whole world.” The navigator’s eyes lit up “A map of our adventures.”

“That would be amazing!” the maid smiled widely “I’m sure one day you’ll do it!”

“Yeah.” Nami nodded vividly, turning her eyes to the door. _Everything will be fine. We’ll reach the end of the world together, Sanji-kun. The five of us._

“Hush now.” The woman put a finger to her mouth as soon as she noticed he was about to say something “I don’t have much time. I’m going to join sir in a while and he can’t know we’ve had this conversation. Do you understand?”

Sanji opened his mouth to ask a question, but after a moment of thought closed it shut, letting the girl speak.

“Look.” She crouched so that their eyes were on the same level “I know you’re pirates, and people here _hate_ those of your kind. Before you ask anything, your friend is safe, she doesn’t even know you’re there. We assured her you’re in our local doctor’s hands, so don’t think of getting any help from here.” She was talking really fast in a quiet voice, the cook had to strain his hearing in order to catch all her words “The longer she doesn’t make any suspicious moves the better for her. Even if you break free and run away, you won’t find her, she’s in a completely other part of the village. And if Sir finds out – he’ll kill her. This also goes the other way around, so if you thought of contacting her in one way or another, better give it up.”

“Why are you telling me all of this?” the chef frowned slightly, confused. He’d never doubt a woman’s good intentions, however he couldn’t shake an uneasy feeling off. The lady was involved in him being captured, so it was strange of her to suddenly offer him help. It could as well be a bluff, to keep him from trying to break free.

“It’s not the right time or place to talk about such matters.” She looked around, as if checking if they had been watched “I’ll tell you everything once I come back alone again, I promise. I just want you to know that Nami is safe, and if you don’t do anything silly, you two might be safe and sound for the next few days. And, if you’re questioned.” She stood up “Don’t take Sir’s threats seriously. As long as you don’t fight him or run away, your friend is going to be fine. He just wants to play with you.” That said, she walked away, closing the door shut.

Sanji leaned back on the wall, blinking quickly and trying to understand what the hell just happened. The lady was way to pretty and polite to be lying to him, so he could assume she was telling the truth. If so, what did she mean by being safe for the next few days? Would something happen to Nami-san? Would she be tortured, abused, killed? He closed his eyes letting out a sigh and shaking the horrible thoughts off. There was no use worrying about it now. He had way too many questions yet not answered to make any logical assumptions.

***

He couldn’t tell how long exactly had he been waiting for the pretty lady to return. Time seemed to pass differently, here where he was stuck, chained to a wall like a stray dog, unable to break free. Weak, pathetic, abandoned. Just like when he meet the old man. Though, that was ten years ago. Apparently, even though he’d grown so much, all that was inside was that frail, intimidated child.

The moment the door was opened, his eyes met the maid’s. She smiled weakly, greeting him.

“Sir’s going to be here in a short while. I sneaked out telling him I wanted to make sure you weren’t causing any trouble.” She said, walking closer to him and examining his hurt leg “Your bandages need to be changed, though I’ll take care of them after he leaves. If something goes wrong, you may need more of them.” She grimaced, touching the soaked, crimson fabric.

“You said you wanted to help Nami-san and me.” There was no time to dance around the issue “I thought the only thing people here want is to see us dead.”

“That’s quite true.” She smirked in an odd, understanding way “Truth is, I’m not from here. Sir rescued me from a pirate ship that crashed on our shore when I was nine. The other people on deck were already dead, a disease killed them. I was the only one to survive. Normally, I would be long dead, but because of my fair skin and white hair I’m here today. Those features are believed to belong to the intermediary between the mortal and the gods. They took me to the altar and fed me a Devil Fruit, which granted me the ability to hear them. They don’t speak the way we people do. They more like… let me hear their feelings.” She stopped, checking if he believed her. He nodded slightly, encouraging her to continue, After seeing Luffy in action there was little about Devil Fruit that could surprise the Strawhats’ chef “The thing is, they’re not negative towards you. As if they wanted to say you’re not bad people.”

“That’s quite noble of them, but I’m afraid there’s little possibility of being a so-called ‘good pirate’.” Sanji smirked “If there was, people wouldn’t be so afraid of them.”

“Perhaps you’re right. But I believe our gods. They’ve never been wrong once.” She turned around as soon as footsteps could be heard “I have to be going now, Sir told me not to disturb him while questioning you. Do as I told you and Nami’s going to be alright. Don’t. Fight. Back.”

The man didn’t even look at his leaving maid when entering the room. His eyes were focused on Sanji, looking as proud and unmoved as one can possibly be when brought down to their knees and tied to a wall by their wrists. He slowly walked towards him, giving him a disgusted look.

“Did you make up your mind and decided to talk?” he asked, showing the cook his clenched fists. Sanji tried to look as bored as possible, pretending to be completely unfazed by the man’s presence, but he couldn’t get his eyes off the shiny metal covering the man’s knuckles. _Brass._

The man seemed to have gotten what he wanted, lowering his fist and gripping Sanji’s hair with his other hand, pulling it so that it was impossible to break the eye contact. What kind of made the chef relieved, his tormentor-to-be wasn’t smiling. He’d met a couple of bad guys in his life, and most of them were smiling when causing pain to others. _Or laughing._ Causing pain was something pleasant for them, a king of entertainment. Hopefully, the man in front of him wasn’t a sadist. And if he wasn’t, perhaps he could get bored if the chef refused to give him the answers he wanted.

“I’m not in the mood for playing your games, pirate. I guess we’ both like to solve things without causing you more pain than necessary. However…” he raised his eyebrows, as if pitying the Strawhat “…if you don’t cooperate, I won’t abstain.”

Sanji did not respond, only frowning slightly when the grip on his scalp become stronger. Good thing he still couldn’t feel any of the hair being pulled out, although it itched quite badly.

“Then? Where are your friends? How many of you are there? What do you want from us?”

“We don’t want any trouble.” Said the chef, trying for his tone to be neutral. Even though they already treat him like a criminal, there could still be a possibility of negotiating peace with those people. And if they could at least free Nami-san, that would be enough “We were sailing towards the Grand Line, an unexpected storm washed me and my friend off the deck. We woke up on this island. I don’t know where the others are, so if you could at least let my friend go–“ brass connecting with his temple sent stars flying underneath the ceiling. The chef blinked a couple of times, sharpening his vision.

“I said. I’m not going to play your games today.” The man frowned, visibly dissatisfied with Sanji’s answer “What do you want from us? We don’t have much gold or food, the wolves are problematic enough. The land is poor, and it’s not the time for harvesting fruit from the forest, so we don’t have much to give you. What do you want?”

“I told you. My friend and I are shipwrecked–“ Another punch connected with his cheek. Sanji gasped for air, grimacing.

“If you need time, we can do this until you remember what your plan was.” This time, the Strawhat remained silent. If talking to this man was of no use, he could as well not say anything at all. Besides, he’d already said what he wanted. One word wrong, and something unpleasant could happen to Nami-san.

***  
  


“Saia.” The navigator called the maid “I’m going for a walk around the village. I know you have just returned, but could you join me? I’m afraid I’ll get lost if I go alone.”

“Sure.” The girl smiled, opening the door to Nami “Where exactly would you like to go?”

“I don’t know. I just need some fresh air.”

“Well then, let’s go see the waterfall. It’s water is said that once one is washed in it, their soul would be purified.”

“Is that so?” the navigator’s curiosity rose “Religion is important on this island, right?”

“Yes.” Saia nodded slightly, smirking “It’s an important part of our culture and lifestyle. Everyone here believes in the sacred spirits protecting the island. We call them our gods.”

“Then, they’re more like your guardian angels.” The redhead hummed, looking up “I read about them once in a book. It said that everyone has a spirit that protects them from evil. There even was one beautiful song about it I remember from my childhood.”

“That’s an interesting concept.” Saia nodded “Well, I guess you could call our gods like that. Speaking of everyone having one, don’t you think your one would actually be alive?” she smiled slyly, watching the navigator’s reaction. The Strawhat however only shook her head.

“You mean Sanji-kun? We’ve only known each other for a short while. He’s like that towards all women.”

“He was willing to sacrifice his life for you. That’s not something one would do for anyone.”

“We’re crewmates and he’s an extremely kind person. He already nearly died when protecting his home, a floating restaurant, and then… for me.” She recalled the chef fighting with Arlong Pirates, putting his shoes on after the fight. Coughing out blood. All three of them nearly died for her that day. She doubted whether she’ll ever be able to return the debt. And now, Sanji-kun did it _again._

“That means he must be a great person.” Wandered Saia “And handsome, in addition to all of that. Are you sure there’s nothing between you two?”

“Yeah.” Nami chuckled “But you’re right, he’s not ugly at all. I wish I could see him again, though. There are some things I’d love to ask him about.”

“I’m sure you two will meet in a couple of days.” Said the maid encouragingly, pointing to Nami’s left “And now, look. The waterfall is right there.”

The navigator widened her eyes, looking at the falling mass of water. There was a stream underneath, slowly flowing down the island and into the forest. On top of that, the water was crystal clear, beautifully reflecting the rays of sunshine forming a rainbow-ish spark around.

“It’s beautiful.” She said quietly, getting closer to the water. If it was still, it would be like a perfect mirror.

“Our legends say that long ago there was no water here, only on the top of the island.” Saia hummed, also looking into the water and smiling “One of our goddesses used a lake as her mirror, staring into her own reflection every day. She was the most beautiful among all beings thanks to her long, golden, silky hair, which was said to be made of pure sunlight. But the other goddesses were jealous of her. One of them cut off the golden hair while the other one was asleep. When she woke up and saw what happened, she became so furious and despaired she could no longer look at her reflection, and so she broke the mirror, creating the waterfall. That’s why we believe the water is sacred.” She reached her hand to touch the surface, but stopped inches away from the flowing water “That’s why we only use it for purifying rituals. There’s another stream we take water for everyday life from. But it’s believed that once the other one dries up, gods will grant us the possibility to drink from that one, too.”

“That’s a little mean.” Noticed Nami, leaning back and looking around “Leaving all this water untouched.”

“Perhaps you, people of the sea would call it waste.” Saia’s voice wasn’t annoyed or angry, more like understanding “But for us, it’s something sacred. Like your jolly rogers.” The navigator hummed. It was true, pirate flags were also untouchable, the maid hit the perfect spot.

“Anyway.” Saia cleared her throat “I believe I should return now. I have deeds to do in another parts of the city. Do you want me to walk you back home?”

“Sure, thank you.” Nami smiled in an apologetic way, paying one last glance at the waterfall. It was a shame Nojiko and the others couldn’t see it. Perhaps she’d take them here one day.


	3. Helpless

“Why didn’t you just let me die?” he asked, hanging loosely from his chains and spitting blood. His vision was a little blurry, but he could see the lady was now walking towards him “Back then, at the shore.”

“It’s forbidden by our religion.” She said, dumping the brass knuckles in the water, not looking him in the eye “The wolves you fought are considered the evil created to oppose our gods’ creations. Impure spectres haunting our island. That’s why Sir told me come and save you from them – if your souls got consumed by them, there would be no salvation for you.”

“That’s really kind of him. Although, I’d never have thought pirates could receive grace from any gods.” The chef smiled weakly, thinking about just how ironic the whole situation was. He himself didn’t believe in any higher force. Even if something _did_ actually exist, it had proved he was an outcast long ago. Sanji wasn’t particularly mad, neither felt he miserable about it. There were people who’d been through way worse shit in their lives, yet still pulled on bright and honest smiles. Even though he hadn’t the happiest childhood in the world, this was now the thing of the past. It wasn’t like he’d ever say such things with pride, though. It was just a fact, something as obvious as the shining sun.

“In order to get salvation, souls have to be purified. Our priests perform various rituals depending on how unclean one’s spirit is.” The maid’s voice was emotionless, however her moves became more nervous “You and Nami are pirates, thus your souls are very unclean, but still can be purified. People here call them filthy.”

“What does that mean?” Sanji raised his eyebrows, encouraging her to continue. She stopped cleaning the knuckles and glanced at him. She smiled sadly, putting the equipment down and walking closer to him

“According to our sacred scrolls and books, out of two filthy souls, only one can be saved.”

Sanji’s eyebrows raised higher and he tried to straighten up Earlier, the maid said she wanted to help them. Was that a lie? If only one of them gets out of the island alive, how could she say that running away was dangerous?

“You told me not to run away so you could help us.” He said, minding not to sound angry. He still didn’t know the full story, but he became quite distressed “What do you mean by being ‘saved’?” The maid looked down, pursing her lips.

“Staying alive.” She whispered “Only one of you would stay live once the ritual is over.” Sanji’s eyes widened. According to the lady, either him or Nami-san were to die on this island, for crimes they didn’t commit. An inequitable death, not fitting a pirate in the slightest, still, something about made him feel a little nostalgic. Yes, he was to die twice now. Once, for being a failure, and the second time because he was reckless enough to stay alive. Dying now, even though unfair and unexpected, would fit him. It was only fate taking what it should had long ago.

“If one of us dies anyway, why didn’t you tell Nami-san to run?” he asked, calming down “What if she gets hurt during the ritual process. How do you know I won’t run away now that I know one of us has to die anyway?”

“I tried talking to Sir and others, convince them to let them go.” She said, guilt building up in her voice “If you want to run, you can still do it, but you’ll die before you get the chance to reach the shore. We fed you with nectar we extract from flowers growing in the forest. You shouldn’t feel hunger for the next couple of hours, but as soon as you get into the forest, the wolves will get you. The nectar has a specific smell attracting them. As for Nami, her wounds aren’t completely healed yet. She can barely walk or straighten her arm. If everything goes alright, she’ll leave the island unharmed, supplied with food and water from our people. But for that, we need to perform the purifying ritual.” The chef only nodded, realizing how reckless he’d been. He completely forgot he hadn’t eaten in days, and that Nami-san could not be able to move at her full power. In their current state, running away would be suicide.

“I understand.” He finally said, sighing “What is this ritual you’ve been talking about?”

“As I told you, there are strict rules regarding our rituals. Most of them are harmless for one’s health or life, but your case is different. Here, you’re equal to murderers or rapists. For two of your kind, there is a ritual called Dance of the Crimson Moon.” Noticing he didn’t want to ask any questions so far, she continued speaking “In our culture, the crimson moon is a sign of damnation and filth. During the ordeal, the impurity from one soul is transferred to the other. There is no way for both of you to be saved, but gods in all their grace and kindness let us save one of the souls. During the ritual, one of you would be chosen to live… but it seems like you’ve already decided.” She smiled sadly, crouching in front of him “Why do you want to discard your life so badly? Do you desire death?”

“If I did, I would be dead countless times before.” He wheezed, smirking at her “But my soul can’t be purified. If someone lays a finger on Nami-san, I’ll become the Devil of the Blue Sea. Your gods wouldn’t like that, would they?”

“You’re probably right.” She said, smile leaving her features “Even though, wouldn’t you like to try to live and see what happens?”

“I wouldn’t.” He said, leaning his head back and looking into the ceiling “There’s no way I would be able to look my captain in the eye if anything happened to Nami-san.” The maid remained silent for a moment, visibly thinking about his words. For a moment, he could swear he saw something like a sad comprehension. What exactly was this woman’s intention, he couldn’t tell.

“Do you love her?” the question was so straightforward that for a moment he didn’t know even what to say. On one hand, oh god he was so in love with the navigator, but on the other, he loved all women. They were all goddesses trapped in human bodies that were to worship and be taken care of. What was so special about Nami-san, they were crewmates. Not just acquaintances. _Crewmates._

“It’s not so simple.” He eventually said “I love her just like I love all women. And we’re sailing together. If it’s about her or any of my crew, I have nothing against throwing my life away. It would be easier than living without them.”

“In that case you just do what’s best for you.” Said the maid, eyeing him up, as if trying to find a spot she could hit to convince him “Isn’t it better to live for them instead of dying?”

“Perhaps you’re right.” He admitted, wishing he had a smoke with him “But it seems like I don’t have much of a choice now. It’s either me or Nami-san, isn’t it? She had just regained her freedom, it would be inhuman to take it away from her again.” The lady just stood in front of him in, smiling sadly once more and nodding slightly, reluctantly accepting his decision.  
“Well, then.” She said quietly “The ritual is taking place the day after tomorrow at sunset. It’s about time for me to go. Next time we meet, I’ll tell you more about the ritual.”

***

“It’s beautiful.” Whispered Nami, looking at the dress Saia presented her. It was snow white, made from a light, silky material, ankle-long with a cut going up to one thigh. The navigator was so amazed she could just stand and watch it. She had seen many beautiful dresses when sneaking into different mansions and parties, and that one was just like them, but in the same time it had something that reminded her of nature and the waterfall she saw. It was truly gorgeous.

“I’m glad you like it.” The maid smiled, handing the dress to the Strawhat “We’re having an important ritual tomorrow at sunset and I’d love it if you wore it.”

“Of course I will.” Assured her Nami “But, I’m not sure if I should go. Sanji-kun is still not alright. I feel like it’s not okay to enjoy myself while he’s… you know.”

“Worrying about him, although it’s a good thing, won’t help.” Hummed Saia “And I think he’d rather see you there instead of staying here.”

“Maybe you’re right.” The navigator bit her lip “Anyway, what kind of ritual will it be?”

“We call it the Dance of the Crimson Moon. It’s a very rare and special occasion, that’s why a lot of preparations are to be made. That includes appropriate clothing.” The maid cast a meaningful look at the dress “I’m sure you’ll look stunning tomorrow!”

“Thank you.” A genuine smile spread across Nami’s face “I’m quite honored to take part in such an important event.”

“I’m glad.” Something in Saia’ expression changed, as if she became nervous, but before the Strawhat got the chance to make a comment about it, Sir’s voice could be heard, calling the maid. She made an apologetic smile, quickly leaving the room. If she stayed there for a little longer, the navigator would see the sad smile spreading across her features, and that would ruin everything. Lucky her.

***

“It’s me.” He heard a soothing voice and relaxed a little. The lady entered with a tray and a cup on it “I got you some nectar.”

“Thank you.” The chef felt relieved, he started to feel the hunger building up inside him _again._ Even though he missed normal meals on Going Merry, right now everything was better than leaves and grass he quite got used to eating for the past days. The lady walked closer, laying the tray in front of him and untying his hands.

“I managed to convince Sir to untie you. He’s not going to come here anymore, you have to look decent during tomorrow’s ritual.” She bit her lip “Also, I wanted to sneak some real food, but our rules forbid bringing anything but nectar for the day before. Unofficially, it’s to reduce the cleaning work to minimum if you start puking. It’s a natural reflex after becoming damned.” _Now_ Sanji’s curiosity and nervousness reached their peak.

“What is actually going to happen tomorrow?” he asked, piercing right through the lady’s eyes.

“…First drink it.” She muttered “Then I’ll tell you.” He obeyed her and thankfully drank the nectar. It was sweet and warm, sending a pleasant feeling all over his body. To be honest, the taste was similar to mead, although he was positive there was no alcohol in it. As soon as he put the cup down, he looked at the lady. She was visibly uncomfortable and nervous.

“You don’t have to push yourself if you really don’t want to.” He smiled slightly, not wanting to force the lady into something he visibly didn’t want to do.  
“No, it’s one of my duties to prepare you for the ritual. If you become anxious or angry and break in the middle of it, neither of you, along with the priest performing the rite, are going to be immediately executed. It’s important that you know what to do.” The chef took a deep breath. Everything was regarded by those rules of theirs. Simpler said, all he and Nami-san had to do was to obey whatever they were told. It made him feel powerless, he didn’t like the feeling.

“The sinners and our priest are given a goblet filled with nectar from our sacred trees each.” Continued the lady “It is said to connect the souls of those who drink it. The soul to be purified is next lead to the sacred altar. They are next washed with the local waterfall’s water, which washes all of their sins off. Then, their soul is no longer perceived as filthy, thus they are set free with no following consequences.” Sanji looked up, his eyes enlightening. There was some good news after all. So it was possible for Nami-san to go through this madness untouched.

“That’s wonderful news.” He said, clearing his throat “So I take it no one would lay a finger on her afterwards?”  
“Correct. She’ll remain untouched and will be released along with a boat and food supplies.” Confirmed the maid “It’s not the safest way, but the nearest island is only a day of sailing away, and from what I’ve heard Nami is a navigator. She’ll be just fine.”

“She’s a shitty fantastic navigator.” He hummed quietly “The best I’ve ever met. You should’ve seen her maps. They’re flawless.”

“I’d love to see them one day. I’m sure they’re wonderful.” Sanji only nodded vividly, imagining Nami-san in her room, sketching another island on one of her creations. The slight smile dancing around her heavenly features, and the spark in her eyes. This woman’s dream was to draw the map of the whole world. As a man, it was his duty to help her make it come true. His train of thoughts stopped when he saw a dark shade crossing the maid’s face.

“What’s wrong, dear?” he asked, frowning slightly.

“There’s also the other side of the coin, you know that.” She said quietly, clenching her fists “Once one of the souls is freed from sin, the balance has to be maintained. That’s when the other soul becomes the most dark and filthy it can. When one is sentenced to death.”

“After one of the souls becomes purified, the priest, the link between two filthy souls, returns and announces that one of you is now pure. The soul to be damned and filled with filth is lead to the place we call the Shrine of Bane. There, they commit the worst sin one can, and become rejected by our gods. At midnight, they are lead to the altar and stoned to death.” Sanji only nodded slowly. So, stoning it was. Which meant, if he got lucky he’d get hit in the head at the beginning. Less pain. One thing concerned him though.

“You said that the damned one would first get rejected by your gods.” His gaze wandered up “What did you mean?”

“You see, Sanji.” She looked away, her gaze wandering around the wall behind him “We have a very strict system of values. There are many smaller or bigger sins one can commit, and for different genders the same sins would have other values. For you, a male…” she stopped for a moment, looking for convenient words “…the worst sin would be to become spoiled with the seed of another man. As you’re about to take all of Nami’s impurity on yourself, the one to assist you would be our priest.”

The chef’s eyes widened, his jaw almost dropping. At first, he wasn’t sure if he heard the lady right. He expected tortures, starvation, dying of dehydration, being torn apart by wolves, anything _but that._ His breathing fastened. He felt like he’d just woken up from a nightmare, that what the lady said _was_ a nightmare. He was prepared for excruciating pain, slow death in torment, but _this_ kind of pain he couldn’t prepare himself for. His hands started shaking. No matter how hard he tried to hide how shocked he was, he knew the maid knew. She looked at him with pity, biting her lip. Now he knew why she was so nervous all the time. Goddamn, where were his cigarettes when he needed them so badly? He closed his eyes, leaning his head against the wall and slowly counting from ten backwards. The world seemed unreal, like he was going to wake up any moment now. But there was no way to escape this time.

“I don’t want you to go through this.” He heard the lady speaking quietly, with sympathy “I can _feel_ that your souls aren’t that impure. I tried to convince Sir to support me, he has quite the power in the village, but he wouldn’t listen.”

“Why don’t you have the power to stop this?” he said slowly, opening his eyes “You’re the one who speaks for the gods, right? Don’t they want to obey them?”

“It’s a little complicated.” She sighed “The gods play an important part in our lives, but they don’t have absolute control over our lives. Some of the decisions are made by our priests, they are believed to be the wisest men on the island. I spoke with them, explained that gods don’t find either of you more impure than an average person, but they wouldn’t listen. In their eyes, being a pirate is a death sentence itself. I only managed to negotiate safety for one of you.”

“I see.” The chef wished he had a smoke right now. He still hadn’t fully calmed down. He could understand the people. He could understand they were afraid, he knew the feeling way to well. But he couldn’t just resign himself to it. If that was the fate they prepared for him, he’d rather had died torn apart by the wolves.

“I’m so sorry.”

“Please, don’t be.” He said, smiling slightly “It’s thanks to you one of us will be saved, right? We should both feel indebted to you.” He took a deep, shaky breath “Moreover, can I have one more favor to you?”

“Sure.” She nodded, looking up “What is it?”

“Can you promise me that I’ll be the damned one if I choose to? And that you’ll take care of Nami-san until the others find us?” _Can you make it so I die and she’s safe?_

“…Well.” The lady hesitated for a while. He noticed by now she wanted _him_ to live, which was so kind of her his hear would normally melt, but he knew she knew that it was impossible. _Firstly,_ no matter if her rite would be less tormenting, which he doubted, she’d get stoned to death afterwards. _Secondly,_ he’d never be forgiven if he as much as thought of switching places with her. Luffy wouldn’t. Zeff wouldn’t. He himself wouldn’t.

Eventually, the lady turned around and whispered quietly “It seems like you’ve already chosen, doesn’t it?” It might’ve been just Sanji’s imagination playing dirty tricks on him, but he could swear he heard her voice tremble just a little. As soon as the door was locked shut, he leaned on the wall, letting out a shaky breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. So he had time until tomorrow sunset before the ritual. They would take Nami-san, set her free, keep her safe, and then the priest of theirs is going to lead him to a shrine and–

He was going to be dead long before the following night.

If anyone ever asked him about how he imagined his death, he would say that in a middle of a battle or taken down by a fever from infected wounds. Those were fitting ends for a warrior, but this… he hid his face in his hands, clenching his eyes shut. He’d only felt so helpless very few times before, and it always scared him. He should be happy to have provided Nami-san safety and he genuinely was, but he was also terrified of what was about to happen. During fights, he felt he had the control. If he failed, at least he gave it his all. But now, he had to do absolutely nothing and watch those people do what they were to. And he had absolutely zero influence on what was about to happen, and he didn’t know what to expect.  
Good thing no one could see him like this. The crew would be disappointed seeing him like that. A man paralyzed by fear, with his face in his hands, a weakling who can’t even bear the weight of his own decisions. A failure. _A failure,_ just like _he_ used to call him. The word sank deep into Sanji’s mind, his usually dry cheeks now stained by tears. _A_ p _athetic, shameful failure._

She didn’t know what to feel. It was nice that she was invited to the rite, however Saia didn’t tell her any details, and she had a bad feeling about it. The maid though seemed lost in her thoughts a lot, not even looking at Nami, walking in silence.

“We’re almost here.” She finally said “Once we step into the square, I beg you not to do anything unless you’re told to. It’s very important. And whatever you see, don’t leave your place.” Nami felt a cold shiver running down her spine after hearing those words. The maid was dead serious, whatever she meant _was_ important.

“Okay.” She said, clenching her fists “I promise.” Hearing those words, the maid nodded, approving her decision. She took Nami’s hand.

“We’ll walk in as soon as the priest calls us.” Nami blinked a couple of times, feeling of uneasiness building inside her. She didn’t see a reason why the priest would call her and Saia specifically. She just watched people gather near to the temple’s door, making space for the man walking out of the door. The navigator eyed him up. He was wearing a white garment flooding to his ankles, and a pair of leather sandals. Behind him, she could see three women carrying a trace and a golden goblet each. The man stopped as soon as he reached the center of the square, raising one of his hands up to silence the shouting crowd.

“Dear people of pure hearts!” he said, looking around at all the gathered villagers “We gathered here today because two filthy souls had been caught by our brother and sister. As some of the gods were favorable towards them, thus they let us perform the Dance of the Crimson Moon. The soul to be purified shall now step in here and prepare for the expurgation!” the navigator felt Saia’s hand on her arm, followed by a quiet ‘let’s go’, and she frowned deeply. She didn’t understand what was going on, but remembered the maid’s words and obeyed him, stepping into the square. She heard whispers as all eyes were laid on her. Some women were talking about wasting her beauty on a filthy life, but she didn’t pay much attention to them. She gave Saia a demanding look, but the maid turned her eyes on the priest, visibly avoiding contact. Anxiety started to slowly build its way up to Nami’s mind, discreetly opening the door to her feelings and sneaking in before she knew it. The priest looked at her, but something was odd about it. It felt as though he was watching goods on a bazar, not a human being – a bored, cold look, back and forth from her head to her toes. Then, he looked at Saia and nodded slightly.

“And now.” He said, looking away “Let the soul to be damned join us!” Nami saw people moving away and whispering, but those weren’t pitying or amazed whispers like in her case. They were insulting, venomous and filler with anger. She didn’t understand what was happening. What the whole ceremony was about. She wanted to ask Saia, but the maid acted as though she didn’t exist. The navigator’s eyes focused on the two silhouettes leaving the crowd and stepping into the square. She froze, widening her eyes.

The first person was the man who saved her and Sanji, dressed as usual, holding a chain which connected with a collar on the other person’s neck. Her eyes stopped at the short, golden strands of her she knew so well. Blue eyes wandered around until they stopped on her features, lightening up. She eyed him up. He was dressed in a black robe, showing one of his shoulders off. She could see bruises and cuts all over his face and chest, and she could imagine there were more underneath the cloth. She wanted to run towards him, but she felt a grip on her wrist.

“Don’t go.” She heard the maid’s voice and felt her blood boiling.

“Don’t touch me.” She hissed, trying to free her hand, but the grip was too strong. “Let go!”  
“If you leave your place, you’ll both be killed.” Whispered Saia, slightly pulling the navigator towards here “ _Please_ , don’t move.” Nami’s eyes widened. She was so shocked she didn’t know what to do. Feelings clashed inside of her mind, fighting for dominance. Betrayal, fury, yearning, concern, anxiety, shock. She gave the maid a furious look.

“What did you do to him?” she asked “You told me he was sa–“

“Hush now.” Saia’s voice could barely be heard “I’ll explain everything, I promise, but for now _please_ stay still. Your friend had to go through a lot to keep you both safe, don’t let it go to waste.” Nami clenched her fists, looking at the maid with nothing but fury. Saia knew what was going on and she knew about Sanji-kun, still she kept lying to her, telling her stories about him being accompanied by a medic. What a joke.

She looked into Sanji-kun’s ocean eyes, urging to go there and wrap her arm around him, rebuke him for being so thoughtless and the whole action with the wolves, to tell him she’s sorry for not noticing anything, for being nothing but a burden to him, for not looking for him. He only smiled with what seemed like relief, slightly lowering his head. A gentle bow towards her. Her eyes started to itch.

“Now, let the sinners and me be given the holy nectar.” Said the priest, and the three women standing behind him steeped into the square, one staying beside the man and the others heading towards her and Sanji-kun.

He looked at the goblet, watching the last rays of sunshine reflect in it. The liquid inside was colorless and syrupy, delicately shining. He’d never seen anything like that before. As the priest nodded, he put the vessel to his mouth and drank the nectar. It was unbelievably sweet and hard to swallow, he grimaced as it went down his throat straight to the stomach. He felt a little dizzy after handing the vessel back to the maiden. A red light lit up in his head. Something felt odd. He passed a quick glance at Nami-san, looking like the goddess who’d just stepped from the heavens, her expression neutral and cold. She put the goblet down, looking at him with what seemed like _yearning_ combined with anxiety. He gave her an assuring smile, still feeling a little raddled.

“Now, the soul to be purified shall head to the sacred altar.” The mad threw his arms up “Let the heavenly maiden guide her towards salvation!” the crowd cheered, watching Nami-san and the maid leave. Sanji wasn’t surprised, after all the lady was believed to be the link between gods and humans. He watched them walk away when suddenly he felt his neck being pulled. He turned his head and gave an icy stare to the man pulling the chain on his neck.

“We’ll wait inside.” He said, pulling stronger, causing Sanji to take a few steps into his direction. The chef didn’t change his expression, urging to kill the man with his look only. Nonetheless, it wouldn’t do any good to him nor Nami-san, he couldn’t back off now. Moreover, something in the back of his mind was still shouting. Something was wrong other than him just being dizzy.

“You lied to me.” Said Nami with an icy voice, following Saia deeper into the forest. The maid was walking with a confident stride, somehow finding her way among the trees and branches “You told me he was in your medic’s hands.”

“That’s true.” Replied the maid, her voice emotionless “I lied to you because I knew you would go and look for him. If you did, he’d die.”

“You can’t know that.”

“I can. The place Sir kept him in was on the other side of the village, and even if you somehow found it and managed to free him, you’d both die in the forest.” Saia’s pace became slower, she seemed more concentrated on what to say “I told him about everything. He also wanted to go and rescue you. But after hearing the hazard, he resigned. Would you?” Nami did not respond, giving the maid the response she wanted “Everything I did was to keep both you and _him_ safe for as long as I can. All you have to do now is behave and not cause any problems.”

“What will happen to him now?” Nami’s question hung in the air unanswered. She had no intention of letting the issue drop “What is going to happen to Sanji-kun? Saia, tell me.”

“His soul is going to be damned and rejected by our gods.” Replied the maid “He chose things to be this way knowing the consequences.”

“What consequences?”

“He sacrificed himself.” Nami’s eyes widened “Purposefully.”

“No.” she stopped, feeling as she just got hit in the stomach “You can’t be telling the truth.”

“What I’m doing is _precisely_ telling the truth.” Saia turned around, giving Nami a cold look “He made his choice, sacrificing himself, for you.” Nami felt her legs turning into cotton. He did it again. How could this man not care about himself so much? Did he _want_ to give up his life for her, did he want to die? No. Sanji-kun had a dream to pursue, finding the All Blue, still it seemed like he used every chance he had to raise her debt towards him. No matter how many Beri she’d make him owe her, the score would never be even.

“Why didn’t you do anything?” she asked, taking a step forward, standing only inches from the other girl “You knew about everything. I thought you weren’t the type of person to watch others die.”

“Watch your tongue.” Saia did not back off “I tried everything I could, spoke with the elders, looked for your friends whenever I had the time to. Lied to you in order to keep him safe. Treated his wounds. Making sure you’d get out of this mess alive. Don’t you dare call this nothing.”

“Still, you just let him go to slaughter.”

“It was because this man is both stupid and stubborn enough to throw his life away for someone like you–“ Nami’s hand moved on its own, aiming for the maid’s cheek, but at the same time the limb felt a little heavy, making the slap easy to block. Saia caught the navigator’s wrist mid-air, tightening her grip on it.

“I tried to convince him to try and live.” She continued her speech “I told him about the ritual, about one of you having to die, about everything that would happen to him if he chooses to be damned.” Nami’s eyes widened as the maid’s eyes filled up with tears “I did what I could to make him change his mind, but he wouldn’t, because he wanted you to survive so badly. I wanted him to live too, you know?” Nami stood there for a moment, completely confused “Don’t try to fight me. I am capable of more than just defending myself, and the nectar you drunk has raddling side effects. It works like a strong medicine, but the effects wear off with time” Saia rubbed her eyes with the other hand, turning around “Let’s go. We don’t have the whole day.”

“You _fell for_ him.” Whispered the navigator and the maid stopped. The sentence hung the air for a few seconds, not approved, not denied.

“Let’s go.” She repeated quietly.

“We’re here.” She said, stopping at an old shrine. Nami looked around, feeling a cold shiver running down her spine. She didn’t want this to happen. Saia took her hand and led her to an altar. “Now, I’m going to pray to our gods to purify your soul. Don’t leave the shrine.”

The navigator looked around the small place while the maid was whispering something in a foreign language. The whole place was quite old, still unnaturally clean and neat. There wasn’t really anything beside the altar around, nothing that would be of any value on a bazar. Unless the whole construction was made of marble.

“Come here.” Saia called, handing Nami a cup “It’s filled with water from the waterfall we watched the other day. It’ll make all filth leave your soul.”

“Do you really believe in this?” Nami looked at her, putting the cup up her lips “Am I so bad I need your holy water?” Saia pursed her lips.

“I don’t.” she said “But the elders say that better safe than sorry. They don’t believe me.” Nami nodded slightly. It wasn’t like she needed the response anyway, she was just curious. She didn’t really have a choice now. The water was fresh and cold, it washed out the sweet aftertaste of the nectar. She realized she didn’t feel so rattled anymore as she handed Saia the cup.

“I feel better now.”

“The holy water should have neutralized the feeling of dizziness.” Nodded the maid. Nami hummed in agreement “Now, let’s head back.”

“Is that all?”

“Yes. The soul lays inside one’s body, so you had to clean it from the inside.” Saia shrugged “Don’t forget it’s no regular water. It’s a gift from the gods.”

They were both heading back when Nami heard _that voice_ calling her name.

“Naaami! Sanji! Where are you? I want meat!”  
“Luffy, don’t shout so loudly! There may be people around! What if they fight us? I think I just got the I-have-to-get-out-of-here disease.”

“Shitty cook’s not here. I told you to turn left.”

“We TURNED left, dumbass!”

She looked in the direction the voices came from, widening her eyes as she saw three silhouettes coming out from the thick foliage, too well-known to mistake.

“Luffy! Guys!” she screamed, feeling her eyes itch. “You’re really here!”

“Nami!” Luffy gave her a wide grin, running towards her and Saia “You’re alright! We’ve been looking for you and Sanji! Is he also here?”

“More importantly.” Zoro drew his sword, pointing it at Saia. “Who is this?”

“Are those your friends?” the maid turned her head to the navigator, absolutely unmoved by the threat. Nami nodded vividly, putting a hand on her arm. Saia turned back to Zoro “Your friend is in danger. We need your help. Please.”

***

He felt the man pull the chain again, making his blood boil. He was somewhere between kicking him in the face and turning the whole place into splinters. He was not a stray dog to be tamed, he was a man and still had his honor, even if it was about to change way too soon. There was no way he’d normally let the other man do that, but this time the stake was Nami-san’s life. It was not to be risked, by no means.

“They have returned. Move.”

Reluctantly, he obeyed the man, standing up and following him towards the exit. The setting sun blinded him for a moment, almost making him trip and fall from the stairs. He choked down a curse when his eyes laid on Nami-san’s heavenly features. She was now calm, slightly smiling at him and standing perfectly still, the lady by her side walking towards the priest and whispering something into his ear. He nodded and then turned to the crowd, which – to Sanji’s surprise – hadn’t lessened at all.

“Dear brothers and sisters! This maiden’s soul has been purified.” He announced. “It is now my duty to fulfill our gods’ will and complete the ritual. I’ll now leave with the other soul. Look forward to our return.” The crowd cheered as the priest took the chain from the man’s hands and pulled it, causing the chef to take a few steps in his direction. He next eyed him up, stopping when his eyes meet Sanji’s furious gaze. Remaining seemingly unmoved, he started walking, nodding at three men standing by his side. They followed Sanji as he moved. For some reason he felt it harder to walk than he remembered from before.

The whole way to where they were heading, the only sounds surrounding them were the flowing water and blowing wind. The further they got, the less could the chef ignore the anxiety raising inside of him. He didn’t want this. This was wrong, what was about to happen. The old man once told him that it was not wrong to be afraid of the unknown, but he knew better. He chose this fate for himself, bearing the consequences was his duty. He assumed the three men were supposed to guard the priest, one walking between the man and Sanji, the other two behind the chef. The leading priest didn’t look back once, only walking forward and sometimes taking turns.

It didn’t take long before they reached a shrine. It was old and overgrown with an ivy-ish plant. Once they stepped in, the chef looked around. There were some old, cracked statues of people dressed in armors and holding weapons, some missing hands or heads, and an altar broken in half. Behind, there was a door. The priest handed the chain to one of the men and started muffling something in a foreign language, what the chef assumed to be a prayer. He felt three pairs of eyes piercing through his back and had to fight the urge to turn around. He felt his heartbeat fasten when the priest became silent and turned around towards him. He put a hand on the chefs cheek, delicately caressing it. Sanji fought the strong urge to flinch away. He remembered the lady’s words. He had to be obedient, to endure. For Nami-san.

The priest then nodded at the three men, heading towards the door and going inside the other room. The chef was forced to follow him. The first thing that hit him when he stepped in was the smell of blood. Even though the room was not dirtier than the previous one, the odor pierced through his nose. The air was drenched in it. The other thing – chains. They were on every single wall, hanging loosely, the heights adjusted to people of any gender and age. Sanji flinched, thinking about the people who had been here there before him. Some of the pairs was too small for any adult person to fit. This made his blood boil.

The men forced him to face one of the walls, gripping his wrists and ankles and cuffing him, leaving him completely unable to move. He then heard them leaving the room, not able to turn his head and see what was happening behind him. This was the moment something snapped inside of him. He tried to break free, feeling the world spin as adrenaline hit his head. He felt a hand on his shoulder and someone leaning close to him.

“You’re quite the sacrifice.” He heard the priest whispering “I bet our gods will accept your soul quite willingly.” That said, he stepped away, and the chef could hear him removing his shoes. He froze as realization flood him. It was really going to happen. He knew, still he never discarded the hope of someone or something stopping the unsaid from happening. Just as a child silently praying for their punishment to be cancelled. Now, it all withered away, leaving space for panic and hopelessness to creep into his mind, wrap around his rapid thoughts, bring the seeds planted in his unconsciousness into the light. It was really over now, there was no other way for things to be. He clenched his eyes shut, hearing the other man work on his clothing.

Suddenly, he heard a loud rumble outside the room and the guards shouting something. The sound was so unexpected and loud he could tell the priest stopped undressing himself, awaiting.

“ _Don’t._ Fucking. Move.” Sanji heard someone growling dangerously in the distant, and his eyes widened as he recognized the voice. That well-known, full of animalistic quirks, barbarian voice.

“An intruder!” shouted one of the guards “Father, please get to safety!”

“I said _don’t move._ ” There was a vibration in the tone that made Sanji shiver. He felt his eyes itch. _They came for Nami-san. For him._

“Take him do–“ the chef heard a sound of a blade slicing through human flesh. Soon, all the shouts and sounds were silenced. Sanji shivered, not knowing what happened. He jerked his head, trying to see something, but there was no use – his range of sight didn’t let him see a thing. Suddenly, he felt a touch on his shoulder and flinched, trying to trash in his restraints. Without success, his limbs felt as cotton candy.

“That was way too fucking close.” He heard the voice again, but it still seemed muffled. “It’s only me, cook.”

He assumed it was the nectar’s doing. Seconds later the chains holding him were sliced into pieces and he turned around, staring deeply into the swordsman’s grey eyes. He still couldn’t believe that was really happening. It felt like a dream he was about to wake up from any moment now. For sure it wasn’t his imagination playing with him, but still, he never expected anyone to come and rescue him. He felt tears building up in his eyes. Zoro noticed.

“Did that fucker do anything to you?” the chef shook his head slowly, bringing his hands up to rub his eyes. His arms felt heavy, limp. “Let’s go.” The swordsman turned around “We’ll talk on Merry. The others are waiting. For, now, let’s get away from here.” Sanji nodded, not feeling the strength to talk. He went after the swordsman, however after few first steps the world started spinning and his legs gave up. The swordsman turned around, visibly surprised.

“Are you alright?” he asked, raising is eyebrows. Sanji pushed himself up on his hands and tried to stand up, but he didn’t have the strength to. He started breathing heavily. This shouldn’t be happening, not when he had the chance to escape. He tried again, this time slowly, but his efforts were fruitless. As though someone pulled out a plug, leaving him without any strength.

“I…can’t… walk.” He slurred, panting as he made another attempt to get up. In an instant the swordsman was by his side, lifting him off the ground and taking him on his back.

“Try not to fall.” He said, giving the chef a moment to wrap arms around his neck, and ran out of the shrine. Chilly air sent shivers all over Sanji’s body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading this story! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did :)


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